No masking the issues: The real Jose Mourinho has major problems up front (Image: Ian Walton)

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LIMITATIONS. Jose Mourinho said it twice, just for emphasis. This team has LIMITATIONS.

He wants you all to know it and Saturday's victory over Everton demonstrated it – and demonstrated that if he was to capture this season’s Premier League title, it might indeed be ranked as his greatest achievement.

Ask Mourinho to nominate his finest ­accomplishment and his answer tends to vary, according to his mood.

He normally lists them all – just in case you had forgotten – and then picks out the ­Champions League success with Porto… or winning a Treble with Inter… or knocking Barcelona off their perch for a while… or….

You get the picture.

He has backtracked since suggesting a third league triumph in this country THIS Chelsea team would represent his most ­luminous honour. But on this evidence, it just might.

Mourinho did not ­elaborate on where the limitations lie, ­preferring to stress that considering those ­difficulties, his team have done r­emarkably well to be top of the Premier League with only 11 matches remaining. He is right. And the limitations that were laid bare in this narrow success were upfront.

Both teams missed Romelu Lukaku.

Everton’s disciplined, physically impressive, ­quick-passing performance was devoid of only a focal point – especially after Lacina Traore had pulled up lame in the warm-up.

Roberto Martinez, especially having sold a striker [albeit a non-scoring one] in the transfer window, must take some responsibility for that.

Samuel Eto’o looks like an ageing prodigy, scratching his head, trying to remember exactly what form his genius took.

He constantly threatens to ­recapture the brilliance, turning defenders, setting himself up with innovative flicks and tricks. But then his memory fails.

It’s no wonder that he had been the first man dragged off in his previous four games.

In the FA Cup defeat at the Etihad, he was dreadful and lasted only one half. He lasted a little longer here and was fortunate to do so.

At least Fernando Torres might offer an excuse of getting back to full fitness – but that is not a convincing enough excuse for his shocking cameo here.

In half an hour, he went through the gamut of awfulness.

A miscue into the top corner (of the stands) prompted Jose to spit out his water, two late challenges somehow failed to draw yellow from Lee Probert and there was a bit of ­simulation, verbals and general stroppiness thrown in for good measure.